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Scott Brown readies move to NH; reaches out to key NH Republicans

Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown has sold his house in the Bay State and will move to New Hampshire, according to numerous reports.

The impending move fuels speculation that Brown intends to run for the U.S. Senate from New Hampshire in 2014.

Meanwhile, UnionLeader.com has learned that Brown has reached out to Republican former Govs. Steve Merrill and Craig Benson, as well as U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, as he weighs whether to enter the race for the seat occupied by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Merrill told UnionLeader.com that Brown recently called him, and he returned the call, but the two have not yet connected.

Merrill said Brown called him the day before Brown spoke in Londonderry two weeks ago and the two “have been trading calls.”

Merrill said, “Scott Brown has to be taken seriously given the changing political landscape in New Hampshire.”

Merrill also said he does not believe that Brown’s long-time residence in Massachusetts, and the fact that he represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate, would be a “disqualifying factor” among voters should he run.

Also, a GOP source said Brown has reached out to Benson and Ayotte. The source said it is Ayotte’s understanding that Brown will not make a decision on whether to run until after Jan. 1.

The source said that Brown “has indicated (to Ayotte and Benson) that he is carefully weighing both sides” of the question of whether he will become a candidate.

Brown has long owned a second home in Rye and apparently is ready to make that home his primary residence and will apparently register to vote in the Seacoast town.

The conservative blog RedMass Group reported Tuesday that Brown has told Rye Town Clerk Beth Yeaton that he will be registering to vote in Rye “soon.”

According to the RedMass blog, “Today, Yeaton confirmed that Brown plans on registering to vote in New Hampshire in the near future. Via email, on the question of whether or not Brown had registered, Yeaton said, ‘not yet, he has been in contact with me and plans to do so soon.’”

Also, NBCNew.com reported that Yeaton, in an email, wrote, “Scott Brown expressed his intention to establish residency and register to vote here in Rye.”

Bloomberg News quoted the managing partner at Nixon Peabody, LLP, where Brown is employed, that Brown has closed on his home in Wrentham, Mass., and plans to move to the Granite State.

Andrew I. Glincher of Nixon Peabody told Bloomberg that Brown has not made up his mind about running for the Senate.

Brown is scheduled to speak to a New Hampshire Republican Party fund-raiser in Nashua on Thursday.